06-30-2010, 08:03 AM
Another thing about "kicking" cars is to get the remainder of the train stopped before the switch so you save the reversing move. If an engineer doesn't know what he is doing then you are wasting time. I used to watch a little shortline that had a big yard do flat switching. They were good at it. The locomotive would start with a cut of 40 or 50 cars, give the train a kick and the conductor would make the cut, and the engineer would just bump the brake to make the cut. they had 3 or 4 guys manning switches, and the engineer never made a backup move, and all the cars would be put in their proper sidings. One of the best things I have ever seen done, and done in less then 30 minutes too.
The HO cars today are getting close to rolling well enough that we could simulate this.
Charlie
The HO cars today are getting close to rolling well enough that we could simulate this.
Charlie